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Essex County is New Jersey's homicide capital. One in three of the state's killings occur in Newark and surrounding towns. But while taking a life is the most serious criminal offense on the books, police and prosecutors have struggled to put murderers behind bars.

The Star-Ledger reviewed 637 homicides that occurred from 1998 through 2003 and found that killers were as likely to go unpunished as to be caught and convicted. These stories explain why it happens.

The Stories:

PART ONE:: More than half the murders over a recent six-year period went unpunished, with many cases relying on shaky witnesses.